


Helping Hand

by youtomyme



Category: The Godfather - Mario Puzo
Genre: Backstory, Gen, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-03
Updated: 2016-04-03
Packaged: 2018-05-30 23:12:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6446059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youtomyme/pseuds/youtomyme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In childhood, Tom and Sonny always go home to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Helping Hand

**Author's Note:**

> For the Fandom Weekly challenge 'Rooftops'.

When Tom was eleven years old, Sonny found him curled up at the back of an abandoned house, sleeping soundly, not because he was warm and content, but because he was too tired and hungry to stay awake another moment. Tom and Sonny had played together a few times before the death of Tom’s mother, but never for a moment had Tom considered seeking out his friend for help. Truth be told, when his eyes began to pain his every waking moment, he had stopped thinking of anything at all.

‘Tom!’ Sonny yelled when he found him, and Tom jerked awake from a nightmare, automatically cringing away from the voice. ‘Hey, what’re you doing here?’

‘Nothing. Go away,’ Tom said, more out of instinct than anything.

‘Yeah, right. What’s wrong with your eyes?’ When Tom only glared, Sonny rolled his eyes and pulled him to his feet. ‘I heard about what happened to your mom and I’ve been looking for you ever since. Why didn’t you say anything to me?’

‘I thought you wouldn’t care,’ Tom mumbled. He yelped when Sonny gave his arm a sharp squeeze. 

‘Idiot. Come on.’

Sonny took his hand and dragged him away, completely ignoring Tom’s protests. He only reacted when Tom said, ‘You’ll get sick from me,’ but even then he only gave the boy an irritated look.

At Sonny’s home, Sonny, with his characteristic mix of kindness and imperiousness, demanded that Tom be fed and clothed and given a place to sleep at night. Bewildered by the way Mama Corleone descended on him, Tom clung to Sonny almost the whole time. Sonny didn’t seem to mind. He kept glancing at Tom, and then looking around at his family, as if he was proud of having brought him home.

After the Don had Tom treated for his eye infection a few days later, Tom came home and threw his arms around Sonny. He couldn’t find the words to thank him, but Sonny didn’t need them. Grinning, he hugged him back and kissed his cheek with brotherly warmth.

\- 

Nobody said anything to Tom when the Don found out about Sonny’s participation in the bank robbery, but Tom felt guilty about it anyway. Tom was Sonny’s best friend, and while Sonny hadn’t so much as mentioned his plan to him, Tom had suspected it, and he felt bad about not mentioning it to anyone.

When Clemenza brought Sonny home after meeting with his father, Tom watched as Sonny pretended to go inside, and then ran off as soon as the car was out of sight. Without hesitation, Tom clambered out of his bedroom window and tried to follow him. He was slower and not in as good shape as Sonny, but Sonny soon stopped on the roof of a vacated house several blocks away and Tom caught up to him.

Sonny had been sitting with his knees drawn to his chest, staring into the distance with a vacant expression, but his features flickered to attention as Tom came up to him, and he smiled.

‘Hey,’ Sonny said, and put his arm around Tom when he sat down next to him. ‘Are you okay? Pa didn’t think you were involved in what I did, did he?’ 

‘No, but he should have. I knew you were going to do it.’

‘Oh really?’ Sonny said amusedly. ‘Well I’m glad you didn’t stop me. Pa’s taking me into the family business.’

Tom blinked. ‘Oh.’ 

‘Don’t be surprised,’ Sonny said with a grin. ‘Why did you think I did it? I wanted to get his attention. Show him what I can do.’

‘Is that really what you want to do?’ Tom said. He couldn’t keep the edge of dismay out of his voice.

‘What’s wrong with that?’ Sonny was taken aback. He had expected his friend to be happy for him.

‘It’s dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt.’

‘Ah.’ Sonny leaned his head against Tom’s. ‘You don’t know what I can do. Don’t worry about me.’

Tom knew perfectly well what Sonny was capable of. It didn’t ease his worries in the least.

‘Just be careful,’ Tom said softly. ‘And don’t change.’

Sonny pulled away and looked at him in surprise. But he didn’t answer the remark. ‘If I’d asked you to do the robbery with me, would you have done it?’

It was a couple of seconds before Tom answered. ‘No.’

He was relieved when Sonny laughed. ‘You’re our father’s son now too.’

‘I’d say it to make you think twice about it too,’ Tom insisted, though he felt pleased by Sonny’s words. Three years later and he was still unsure about whether or not he fitted in with the Corleones, if Don Vito saw Tom as his son the way Tom saw him as his father. If Sonny thought Tom was being a good son, perhaps it was a good sign.

‘You couldn’t have made me change my mind.’ 

‘Then I’m glad you didn’t tell me.’

‘What do _you_ want to do after school?’ Sonny asked, nestling against his side again.

‘I don’t know yet.’

‘Even if you don’t want to work for my father, I hope you’ll still be by my side.’

Tom understood what he was saying. That even if Tom didn’t want to work under the dark umbrella of the Don’s business, if he wanted to live a life free from crime, his boyhood friend and semi-adopted brother would still want him as his companion.

‘Of course I will,’ Tom said. He knew that for sure. Sonny was his hero. He could never leave him.

‘Good.’ Sonny took his hand. ‘That’s what really matters to me.’ 


End file.
